Well... I wasn't expecting this kind of book, I honestly thought it would be different and gloomy but there was beautiful moments within these pages and I loved every minute.
"The ancient Greeks believed that humans were born with four arms, four legs and two faces. Then some jealous god tore them apart, leaving them to search the earth for the missing half of their soul" ♡
The first few chapters set the seen up for the suspence and if your anything like me you can't wait to carry on reading for the gory parts!
The writer wrote this amazingly to make you think you were really there and seeing and feeling everything, this is what I love about some authors, the fact they can put you in a trance to make you belive you're really there.
Thank you to Lauren Blackwood for allowing me to read this stunning book! And thank you Netgalley for allowing me access to the pages of this book. (well more like the screen pages of an ebook)

Andromeda banishes manifestations - brought out by the evil eye. But when her teacher kicks her out before she gets her license, she must make her own way in the world. That’s why she takes a dangerous job at a castle in the desert, facing a monster she’s never faced before…

There was a lot to like in this book. The setting was fab, loved the Ethiopian culture. Some of the characters were well drawn, there was pace.

For me there were a few things holding it back. For one, it was too short and it felt a bit unfinished. There were plot lines left hanging (what happened to Esje and his sister). And the ending felt rushed. There were too many things unexplained. How did Kelela survive when she was the target. Why did Peggy hate Andromeda? How exactly did Jember know Saba from before? How can debtera’s carve out a living from clearing manifestations without ever facing hyenas - when manifestations are a result of the evil eye? And so on.

I also didn’t buy the romance, it was too quick and too rushed. Magnus was too irritating. The reason Jane Eyre works as a love story with a flawed make lead is because the characters have so much time to see past each other’s faults. Here, I just didn’t buy it..

I also think the Jane Eyre retelling felt underdone or oversold. You’ve got a mansion (well castle), a Rochester and a fire, but the similarities end there. I’m not convinced that matters, but perhaps it would have been better without the loose connection which didn’t really play out.

Finally, I wanted more of some of the side characters. More Jember in particular. And I wanted more explanation of the religion and the magic and the evil eye.

All that said. It was a quick read. I enjoyed it enough. It just needed a bit more to be truly great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atom for this eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I loved this book from the moment I picked it up. Let's start from the cover. How gorgeous is it? It gives historical spooky vibes, and I'm all in for it. Andromeda is an almost full-fledge exorcist without qualifications due to her master kicking her away before she could finish her studies, so she doesn't have many choices if she wants her name to be known and find work. She accepts a job to exorcise a manor that many have failed, but if she succeeds, she won't need anyone to vouch for her ability.

The story is the right amount of spooky without verging into the horror genre. I love how Magnus and Andromeda interact with each other and how their story develop.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Within These Wicked Walls is an Ethiopian inspired loose retelling of Jane Eyre, and perhaps if I had some prior knowledge of Jane Eyre, I would've had a better time with this retelling, but I haven't read the classic yet, so I can't comment on how this book pairs up as a loose retelling. The trouble I had with this book is that I just didn't feel... connected to the story in any way. I didn't find it to be scary or eerie, I didn't particularly connect to any of the characters, and I didn't feel the chemistry between Andromeda and Magnus.

With the romance in particular, it was one of the most insta-love romances ever; they're in love after having practically one conversation, and I am just not a fan of that. This ties into another problem I had with this book which was that the story was going well for the first 30%, I was invested, it was interesting... and then for the next 85%, it was as if nothing was happening. It was flirting then dying then flirting then running away then flirting then dying and we were literally 7 pages before the end and nothing had been resolved yet. It was all very circular, and I still can't work out why that was exactly, when this concept and plot had so much potential to not be.

I also just found Magnus to be incredibly irritating... like you have called this debtera here to cleanse your house, but you are constantly stopping her from doing that job! He was just really cringeworthy and I really didn't like him as a love interest. He is manipulative and leads Andi on, he's whiny, he basically forces Andi into acting like his mother.... yeah, not for me, thank you.

I think I'm in the minority with my opinion on this book because it has so many great reviews, so maybe it's just a me thing, and if you think you'll enjoy this book, I would still say to give it a go, because the writing style was really great, and the concept was fascinating, just not pulled off in a way that worked for me unfortunately.

Thank you Netgalley and Atom for gifting me with this e-ARC for my honest reviews and opinions.
I really enjoyed this book, such an amazing read.
This is my first time reading a book by Lauren Blackwood, I will definitely be checking out her other books.
This story was captivating from the opening pages and I was lost within its story, Andromeda (Andi) is an interesting character and the story is told POV, the mixture of magic, religion and gothic romance was well developed throughout.
Within These Wicked Walls is a fresh stamp on an Jane Eyre adaptation that I never knew I needed.
Highly recommended read ⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars out of 5.
I already have placed an order for my library.

omg this book was phenomenal from the storytelling, the absoultely captivating storyline, the setting and the well developed characters everything was perfect. I couldn't put it down and I didn't want to, I was disappointed it had to end. I adored it

Oh this book has been on my wish list for months and it did not disappoint! I love the dynamic between Andromeda and Magnus, it feels organic and the author clearly brought them to life in her own world making them feel more real in ours. This is a fabulous book and I would recommend it to anyone who reads!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Within These Wicked Walls' by Lauren Blackwood.

'Within These Wicked Walls' is a Jane Eyre retelling by Lauren Blackwood. As a Jane Eyre obsessed person, I knew I had to read this. I'd say it was more of a remix of Jane Eyre but still it showed incredible traits of Jane Eyre.

Andromeda is a perfect protagonist and she has traits that connects perfectly with Jane Eyre. In this story, Andromeda is an exorcist who has come to rid Thorne Manor of the Evil Eye. The plot points resembled closely to Bertha v Thornfield Hall and I adored it. Her love interest is a Mr Rochester, but not who you think. Magnus Rochester isn't your average Rochester, he isn't brooding or cold - or well at least, once you get to know him. He's such a good character and I grew to fall in love with this Rochester. Their romance was so much healthier in this retelling and I'm grateful for that.

Overall, I adored this retelling and I felt like it was such a cool take on Jane Eyre.